Toe or heel plate for shoes.



G. c. MEAKlM.

TOE 0R HEEL PLATE FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. I915.

Patented Sept28, 1915,.

l9 F ak .WVENT'OH rge CMeaklm WITNESSES 1i TTORNEYS GEORGE CLINTON MEAKIM, OF NEW YORK,N. Y.

TOE B HEEL PLATE FOR SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

Application filed February 6, 1915. Serial No. 6,477.

- devices for shoes.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a toe or heel plate to be secured firmly to the bottom of the sole or heel of a baseball shoe or other shoe and to be used as a substitute for the common steel toe and heel plates.

More definitely stated, the invention comprises a plate of the character indicated, made ofpure live rubber or its equivalent, adapted to be rigidly secured to the bottom of a shoe by suitable strong, rigid fastening means, said plate providing an antislipping means and yet insuring absolute safety to the wearer and to associated players, whereby all danger from injury, due to catching of the commonly used steel plates or calks in the fabric of the bases or in the grass, weeds, or the like, will be obviated, and whereby the danger of spiking a fellow player will be practically eliminated.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of ashoe equipped with my improvements; Fig.- 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the plates detached; and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4l--4 of Fig. 1. While I show herein what I regard to be the best form of the device, I wish not to be limited unnecessarily to the form shown, and reserve the right to modify the shape and design of the plate and its fastening means to the fullest extent within the spirit and scope of the protection afforded by this patent.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, I show at 10 a representative form of sporting shoe, but which may typify any kind of a shoe or boot to which my invention may be applied. The shoe includes a sole 11 and a'heel 12.

The improved plate 13 is made preferably of live rubber or its equivalent, and comfits squarely against the bottom of the sole or heel and may be in the form of a fragment of 'a disk. The bottom of the plate is provided preferably with a rimli extending across the front and along the sides thereof, forming a reinforcement therefor. In other words, that portion of the plate within the rim constitutes a comparatively thin, light web 15. While the plate shown herein is substantially horseshoe shaped,

with the rear portion of the toe plate and the front portion of the heel plate open, it is obvious that the precise design of the plate may be modified or varied without prises a substantially flat surface 14 which departing from the gist of the invention in its practical features.

I show a series of lugs or calks 16, one at each end of the rim 14 and one intermediate the ends and preferably made integral therewith, though a greater number than these three may be used if desired. Each of these calks is shown of cylindrical form and provided with a central vertical hole therethrough, said hole extending through the rim and edge of the plate and constituting a means for securing the plate to the sole or heel by means of a fastener such as a rivet 17 having a broad head 18 at one end. The

head 18 is preferably applied to the inside.

of the sole or heel, the rivet passing downwardly though the sole and through the plate and made to engage with a washer 19 ,located in a cavity or countersunk 20 in the lower end of the calk. The upset portion 21 of the rivet may be arranged to be located at any desired elevation with respect to the lower end or edge of the calk.

I claim:

1 The combination with a shoe sole, of a plate therefor'comprising a body of homogeneous cushioning material, said body including a fiat portion having'a reinforcing rib and a plurality of calks extending downwardly from said rib and integral therewith, each calk having a vertical hole therethro11gh,'and a series of rigid fastening devices extending from the sole downwardly through said calk hole for securing the plate rigidl to the shoe sole.

2', he herein described toe or heel plate aid for shoes, the same comprising a flat por- In testimony whereof I have signed my tion having a marginal reinforcing rim end name to this specification in the presence of a plurality of cylindrical calks extending two subscribing witnesses.

downwardly therefrom and integral there- GEORGE CLINTON MEAKIM. With, each calk having a central ertical Vvltnesses: countersunk hole therethrough, substan- LEGORIE N. MOGINNIS,

tially as set forth. MAY BURNS. 

